Glacier National Park Centennial Event

22 April 2010

Lake County’s only sanctioned Glacier National Park Centennial Event will start at 6:30,

April 22 at the Miracle of America Museum in Polson. Guests will first be treated to an

outdoor tour and examination of vintage vehicles previously owned by GNP.

Beginning at 7 the indoor program will begin. It consists of a lecture, “A View Inside

Glacier National Park – 100 years, 100 stories, 100 Entrepreneurs, 100 GNP Souvenirs.”

Retired English Professor, Dale G Harvey will give readings and poetry about the park,

and Neil Lewing of the Port Polson Players, will sing songs about the Park. Refreshments

will be served.

Attendees will gain a greater appreciation for not only the history of Glacier National Park,

but also the efforts made by others in the past and by present Glacier Park aficionados

to maintain and preserve it for future generations. Admission will be $2 for children ages

3 - 12 and $5 for those over age 12. For more information please call 406-883-6804.

A View Inside Glacier National Park

100 Years, 100 Stories, 100 Entrepreneurs, 100 GNP Souvenirs

Enchanting – Alluring – Majestic Glacier National Park. Whatever adjectives you use is

OK and it could even be profitable. For decades, entrepreneurs have used the draw of

Glacier National Park (GNP) to benefit their existing company or start a business.

Evidence of these businesses in the form of souvenirs,

photos, and various forms of memorabilia has been

collected for almost 25 years and is displayed as part

of the vast “Montana” collection at the Miracle of

America Museum (MOAM), just south of Polson. Gil

Mangels, founder of this non-profit museum, is happy

to show you where these souvenirs, advertising items,

and other memorabilia are displayed. Items may be as

tiny as a spoon, or matchbook, and other trinkets, to

vintage state highway maps, to the 1920s waitress

uniform, worn by the late Doris Huffine. She started as

a maid at the Glacier Park Hotel in 1925 and later

worked at Mike’s place through 1929. She witnessed

some nasty fights at Mike’s and had to clean up blood

off the floor several times.

Magazine ads from National

Geographic to Cappers

Farmer, tout viewing the

beauty of GNP by Great

Northern Railway’s Empire

Builder. The more persons

that the railroad could entice

to buy a ticket and become a

GN traveler, of course, the

more GN could “Build the

Empire”, to use a play on

words.

On a much smaller scale, the late John Clarke, a Native American woodcarver, used his

talent to carve bears and mountain goats to sell admiring tourists for a paltry sum. To

own one today is to have a prized possession. The MOAM not only has one of each of

the smaller items, but it also displays one of Clark’s larger pieces as well. This carving

of a grizzly sow, caught in a trap, as she is protecting her cubs from an advancing

hunter is captivating.

Many tourists would attach a felt

banner to their car’s radio

antenna, or use windshield

stickers, luggage stickers, or

license plate toppers to brag that

they were among the fortunate

who had been to Glacier National

Park. Sold by numerous souvenir

and gift shops (sometimes called

tourist traps) these items made

money and the Park received free

advertising.

Not a trinket or “rubber snake”, the ladies

shoe horn, button hook, sewing kit, and match

box holder were useful souvenirs in 1917 & 25

A tooth pick holder and letter opener appealed

to the gents while a miniature hunting knife in

scabbard was the one thing young boys

usually hankered after. A box of half a

hundred hand colored art views of GNP for

the price of only $1.00 would have been a

day’s wages back when they were originally

purchased. Souvenir wall hanging plates,

ashtrays and other doo-dads and knick-

knacks would leave the younger generations

wondering “What do we do with this?” years

later when cleaning out their grandparent’s

china closet. Postcards and picture books –

some giant size, and even a 600 piece

interlocking puzzle, capturing the grandeur of

GNP were among the most prolific items

produced to keep the visitors pocket change

in Montana.

While the Montana Highway Commission

and some Department of the Interior maps

were printed for free distribution, many

others printed maps and travel guides for

sale. The MOAM is believed to have

Montana’s largest and most complete

collection of road maps on permanent

display. The beautiful cover art certainly

used the breathtaking beauty of GNP a good

share of the time. A 1941 Montana Highway

map states, “We have more scenery than we

can handle by ourselves – Come and help

us look at it.” Intermountain Bus Lines time

tables, dating back to the late 40s advertise,

“The Mountain Route to Glacier Park.”

Some of the books or booklet titles in the

MOAM’s exhibits and collections date back

to 1924, and include Fishing Glacier

National Park, Adventure Among the

Glaciers, The Call of the Mountains, A

Woman’s Way West, Wild Flowers of GNP,

Good Medicine in GNP by Adolph Hungry

Wolf, Tales of GNP by Ace Powell, The

Ecological life of GNP, Many Storied Mountains and others..

In the MOAM collection of over seventy pieces of Montana themed Sheet Music several

extol various aspects of the park and one waltz is titled “The Glacier Park Song” with a

sub title “Can Heaven More Beautiful Be?”

In the “MOAM Village” behind the main building, outside displays show an important

part of GNP’s winter history. The lineup includes four rare yet important vehicles. First is

a 1928 FWD, a primitive truck that was one of GNP’s first snowplows. Second is a 1941

Ford 4X4 with a rotary snowplow. Third is a one –of-a-kind, maintenance –shop built

enclosed Snowtrac created from

various auto and tractor parts. The

engine, tranny and some of the drive

train came from a 1939 Ford. The

ingenuity of the Park Crew is indicative

of the spirit of the early-day pioneers.

Lastly is its replacement, a 1952 Tucker

Snow Cat, which had tracks on the rear

and skis on the front. Small wheels

were also attached for lifting the skis off

the ground allowing greater mobility

around the yard where snow was

sometimes marginal. GNP bought this

new in 1952 and used it for over 30 years. All its receipts, service records etc. are also

prized possessions of the MOAM which purchased it in 2006.

In the “Museum Village” you’ll

also glimpse other GNP

references as well in various

parts of the museum. The 45”

X 65” picture of Glacier spent

its early days in the Proctor

Hotel, but now it is part of the

recreated 1912 bank at the

museum. The vintage

motorcycle collection displays

photos of adventurous early

day bikers in GNP. Harley

Davidson “Enthusiast”

magazine covers from the

1930s to the 50s often

features touring bikers with

prominent Park features as a

backdrop. Displayed here is a

September 3, 1929 motorcycle permit with unusual instructions such as “Sound your

horn, Stay out of ruts” and “Horse drawn vehicles have the right of way.” The cyclist,

upon writing his mother stated, “It is beautiful but cold up here. Only wish I had longer to

stay” He was headed home to Long Beach California the next morning.

The MOAM collection is an important part of the Glacier Park Story. The livelihood of

many individuals and families is owed to the opportunities the Park provided. The

MOAM collection is a tribute to the ingenuity and imagination of those brave souls who

ventured forth, gambled, or even dared to hang their “Open for Business” shingle out for

all to see. Many of the displayed articles not only put beans on the table, they also

helped bring more visitors to Montana and the Park. The MOAM is happy to be a part of

preserving the GNP’s rich history.